At present, optical character recognition systems and translation systems are available. The available optical character recognition systems typically require high resolution printed words. Such optical character recognition systems, thus, can only recognize text printed on paper or other document form and cannot optically recognize characters on-screen which is displayed in a lower resolution. Further, available optical character recognition systems typically recognize text by recognition of the character. Such optical character recognition systems, thus, are dependent upon a specific recognition of the shape of a character. These optical character recognition systems, thus, are limited to paper and to recognition of a character based upon its foreground characteristics.
Available translation systems typically are limited to performing translation of words to another language without taking into consideration the use of the word in a phrase or a sentence. These available translation systems, thus, fail to take into consideration the use of a word in a phrase or a sentence to provide the most accurate translation or translations of the word into another language.
Translation systems include the Roboword product created by TechnoCraft and a product created by Accent. However, these products do not have the capability of translating words depending upon their use in a phrase or sentence. Furthermore, these systems do not have optical character recognition technology that allows on-screen text recognition or optical character recognition capability which utilizes characteristics such as the background of a screen to recognize a character. Accordingly, in instances where, for example, an accurate translation of a word is dependent upon its use in a phrase, these systems will not accurately provide a translation of the word. Furthermore, these systems are not capable of optically recognizing on-screen text or optically recognizing text by use of characteristics such as the background of a letter.
Optical character recognition technology is available, but this existing technology is dependent upon recognition of the foreground of the character. Accordingly, if a character is printed such that the foreground of the character is not understood by the technology, the technology will not be capable of reading it. Furthermore, the existing technology cannot optically recognize characters using characteristics such as the background of a letter in determining the correct printed letter. In addition, existing technology cannot typically optically recognize characters displayed on a screen because of the lower resolution of on-screen displays.
Additionally, upon unsuccessful recognition and translation of a word or phrase, recognition and translation systems do not typically provide a list of words or phrases which are linguistically similar to the displayed word or phrase and do not allow the System user to add the displayed word or phrase and the corresponding translation to a user dictionary for future translations.
Furthermore, recognition systems and translation systems do not typically incorporate the ability to optically recognize characters in combination with the ability to translate words and phrases.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is a recognition and translation system with the ability to optically recognize characters displayed on a digital screen, such as a computer monitor.
A further object of the invention is a recognition and translation system which is capable of using characteristics such as the background of the screen to optically recognize characters.
Another object of the invention is a recognition and translation system which is capable of optically recognizing characters produced by many different applications displayed on-screen.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a recognition and translation system which is capable of accurately translating words from one spoken language to another depending on the use of the word in a phrase or sentence.
Another object of the invention is a recognition and translation system which is capable of automatically recognizing and translating phrases in text.
Furthermore, an object of the invention is a recognition and translation system which combines the ability to optically recognize characters displayed on screen and the ability to translate words from one spoken language to another depending on the use of the word in a phrase or sentence.
A further object of the invention is a recognition system which can be utilized by many different modes of digital display.
An addition object of the invention is a recognition and translation system which provides a list of words or phrases which are linguistically similar to the displayed word or phrase upon unsuccessful recognition and translation of a word or phrase.
Another object of the invention is a recognition and translation system which allows the System user to add the displayed word or phrase and the corresponding translation to a user dictionary for future translations.